144 Welsh police officers barred from service over six years as national figures hit record high
New figures show 144 Welsh officers were barred over six years, with 28 added in 2025/26. National totals reached a record high of 757.
A total of 144 officers from Wales’ four police forces were added to the barred list over the past six years, new figures reveal. In the 2025/26 financial year, 28 Welsh officers were barred, a figure unchanged from the previous year.
South Wales Police accounted for 15 of these additions, followed by Gwent Police with eight, North Wales Police with four, and Dyfed-Powys Police with one. Across England and Wales, 757 regular officers were added to the list in the year to March 31, 2026, up from 735 the previous year.
The College of Policing confirmed this is the highest annual figure since the list began in December 2017. The list prevents those dismissed for breaching professional standards from returning to policing, including former officers found to have warranted dismissal after resigning or retiring.
Assistant Chief Constable Arman Mathieson, director of operational standards at the College of Policing, said: “Policing is built on trust and these figures show we will not hesitate to act when that trust is broken.” He noted the number represented 0.5% of serving officers, with the vast majority serving with “courage, professionalism and integrity.”
Of the 757 regular officers added across England and Wales, 334 were serving, 397 had resigned, and 26 had retired. Reasons for barring included dishonesty in 142 cases, discriminatory behaviour in 110, and unlawful access to or disclosure of information in 101 cases.
There were also 87 cases involving sexual offences or misconduct, including six involving child sexual abuse and five involving rape. The report separately recorded 25 special constables and 348 police staff added to the barred list during 2025/26.
Eli Nathan
Eli Nathan covers Wales news, politics, community stories, and sports for The National Wales (thenational.wales).
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